Avatar: of Ice and Fire
by Aegon The Conquerer
Summary: A wandering Waterbender is captured by a Fire Nation ship, though his imprisonment is anything but. Could this be the start of a new frienship, or perhaps the search for an old enemey.
1. A Rude Awakening

**Chapter One – A Rude Awakening**

I sat in the middle of a small room, lit with four torches that hung on each wall, which cast a bright orange and red glow about the room. The room had no windows, and only a small bed to sleep. Such was the extent of the Fire Nation's hospitality, and I enjoyed all the comforts of a prisoner.

I had been captured by a small Fire Nation ship; captured while I slept in my boat, a small sailboat, and hauled on board only to be thrown in his cell. You can be sure I put up a fight; I managed to knock one of the crew in the ocean. But they outnumbered me and overpowered me, as the Fire Nation does so very well with anyone who gets in their way.

The thing that irks me most is that the man commanding the ship, or at least the one in charge when I was captured was a young man. He couldn't have been more than 15 and yet he commanded the crew like he was the Fire Lord himself.

Haru sat cross-legged in the middle of the floor, his hands palm up on his knees and his eyes closed. He was trying to meditate, but he found himself unable to relax his mind; he was still emotionally charged from his capture. He had been confined to this cell for at least six hours and the entire time was spent trying to calm his mind. "Where's the Avatar now? Isn't he supposed to free innocent prisoners like me?" Haru said softly to himself.

The door creaked open and one of the crew members stood in the doorway, a tray with bread and tea in his hands. Without stepping past the threshold of the cell he placed the tray on the floor a few feet from Haru. "What time is it?" Haru asked as the man set the tray down.

"It's dusk," the man answered simply. Haru, without warning and in one fluid motion, waved his left hand above his head and brought it down as if he was trying to break something. As he made these motions the tea that the crew member had given him rose out of the cup and formed a whip, which as Haru brought his hand down, hit the guard on the back of the neck.

Haru was up in a flash and leapt over of the guard who was now sprawled out on the floor. He kept his hands at his stomach where the small sphere of liquid was suspended. He ran down the hallway, not knowing where they led, but knowing that eventually he'd end up on the top deck.

He encountered a pair of crew members as he turned a corner, both of whom where garbed in armor. Haru waved his left hand in an arc in front of his body before the guards could react and in an instant one of them was on the ground and clutched the spot on his chest where the water had hammered his armor. The second guard punched fiercely, which launched a ball of fire toward Haru, who gracefully sidestepped the blast and sent the tendril of water beneath the guard's feat and pulled back, which caused him to fall backwards as the water pulled his legs out from beneath him.

There was no pause as he passed over the guards and continued to run through hallways, all of which were eerily deserted. After minutes of endless running Haru found a stair case and ran towards it. He could hear, as he drew closer, the sound of waves breaking and murmuring voices. A smile broke free from his lips as he jumped up the steps three at a time.

He reached the top and ran through an open doorway that led on to the main deck. He realized why there had been no guards in the hallways; they were all up here, but for what reason was unknown to him. The deck was lit by torches along the edge of the boat and with their light Haru found himself the focus of nearly 100 pairs of eyes.

"The prisoner's escaped!" someone yelled after a few long seconds of silence. "Capture him!" As the crew mobilized Haru glanced up at the moon; it was a crescent moon, though only a sliver remained. Haru grinned in spite of himself and raised his hands to his mouth. He took a small drink from the orb of tea he had used to break out of his cell, and when he was done with it he froze it and promptly hurled it at the nearest Firebender.


	2. Unexpected Detour

**Chapter Two – An Unexpected Detour**

Haru took his stance and waved his arms away from his body, paused for a moment, then pulled them back to his side. With that the ship heaved to the left as a wave crashed against the side of the boat. The motion threw most of the Firebenders down to the ground; the few that were standing were standing only because they had hit something which stopped them from falling.

Haru took the time to move out of the doorway and farther on deck. He brought his hands slowly above his head and with them watery tendrils rose above the sides of the ship. As the crew recovered from their fall Haru took his stance and prepared.

Seconds later the first burst of fire came from a Firebender a little to his left. He dodged the blast and brought his hands down and the water he held up moved to surround his body. Haru entered in to a series of rapid waterbending techniques, which manipulated the water that now circled his body to form a stream that hit the Firebender and knocked him over backwards

By this time there were more people on their feet and more fireballs were launched in Haru's direction. He brought the water back to him and used it to create a shield of whirling water in front of him. The fire balls dissipated when they hit his shield and after a brief pause in the barrage there was a column of steam rising from the water.

"Leave him," someone said. "This Waterbender is mine." Haru let the water fall to ground and saw the crew members backing away to the edges of the boat; directly in front of him stood a young man, the commander who had captured him. The man had a bright red scar covering his right eye and his hair was pulled up in a ponytail.

"Quite impressive," Haru said. "To think a child could command this much authority."

"I'm no child!" he yelled as he threw and arc of flame from his hand. Haru flicked his hand upward and the water that had covered the deck rose and blocked the fire. "I am Prince Zuko, son of Fire Lord Ozai and heir to the throne of the Fire Nation."

"Well, Prince Zuko… What are you waiting for?" The water rose again and Haru pulled it toward himself before pushing it toward Zuko, who kicked upward and split the current of water with an arc of fire. Haru sent the water around both sides of Zuko and pulled the current towards him. Zuko, who was between the water and Haru, was knocked forward as the water made its way to surround Haru. Zuko whirled around and sent fire from his feet which hit Haru and knocked him a few feet backwards.

In response, Haru sent a sheet of water to Zuko's left, which he blocked, then froze the water beneath their feet. Zuko was still not balanced enough when the water froze and he fell sideways on to the ship's deck. Haru froze The Prince's ankles to the deck and slowly ice crept over his wrists and soon his torso was frozen to the deck.

"You're pretty good," Haru said, squatting down. "You were more of a challenge than the other guy who captured me. Course I did fight him when it was nearly a full moon. Nevertheless…" Zuko looked as if he wanted to murder him, but slowly his face softened until it showed only mere contempt.

"Are you going to finish this?" Zuko asked, spite present in his voice. "You've already beaten me."

"I'm not going to kill you," Haru said. "I just want to get my boat and be on my way." Zuko was silent. Haru released the ice that bound Zuko to the deck. Zuko stood up, as did Haru.

"You are a powerful bender," Zuko commented, which struck Haru as strange. He thought he saw the faintest of smiles appear on Zuko's face, but it disappeared behind his face returned to its normal, indifferent state. "For a Waterbender, that is."

"Do you want me to beat you again, Prince Zuko?" Haru had become tense and impatient. "Now let me leave."

"You might be even more powerful than the Avatar." Zuko didn't try to hide his smile this time. Haru's previous anger was replaced by curiosity and his facial expressions showed it. "Is that why you travel, to find the Avatar?" This was followed by an awkward silence.

"It is," Haru said slowly. He found it fascinating that this young prince could read his expressions so well. "Have you fought the Avatar?" Zuko turned and walked toward the middle of the deck.

"I have, many times," Zuko stopped and turned to face Haru. "It is my… Job, to capture him." Haru stepped forward so that he was barely a foot away from Zuko.

"Let me join your crew, let me help you capture the Avatar," Haru didn't know exactly what he was getting himself in to, but if it allowed him to get to the Avatar, he didn't care.


	3. Tea with a Side of Crazy

**Chapter Three – Tea with a Side of Crazy**

Days passed by slowly after Haru joined Zuko's crew, and since then he had been treated with a mild neglect. His quarters had been moved so now he was living in more spacious room with his own table, a more comfortable bed, and a small carpet. There was even a small circular window for which Haru was thankful, as he was wont to look out at the sea as the sun descended below the watery skyline.

The crew only spoke to him when they told him to do something, or when they needed a question answered. He had heard mutterings between soldiers with himself being the subject, but paid these no mind as he decided it was not his goal to make friends with the enemies of his country.

At nights he would lie in bed and think, more often than not he tried to reason out why he had made the decision to join Zuko and his crew. So far the best reason was that it would get him closer to the Avatar, and that was reason enough to allow him to sleep.

On the fourth day of living on the ship Haru woke up to find sunlight streaming through the window. He swung himself out of bed and put on his robes before he fastened them with his cloth belt. As he was finished dressing there were two soft taps on the door.

_Who would that be? _he wondered. He did not think it would be Zuko; in fact he hadn't seen Zuko since the morning after the night they fought; perhaps it was a crew member wanting assistance with something.

When he opened the door he was surprised to see a rather large man standing with a small tray that held a tea set. "May I come in?" he asked. Haru stood still a moment before he opened the door wider so the man could fit through. He wasn't sure how to react to this man's unexpected arrival, so he just stood as the man sat on one of the cushions and placed the tray lightly on the table.

Haru shut the door silently and took a seat across from the man. He wore the traditional Fire Nation armor, albeit in a much larger size. His hair was completely grey and hung down to his shoulder blades save for a miniature topknot. His face was adorned in large sideburns and a small goatee.

"Thank you for letting me join you this lovely morning," the man said. He took a teapot from the tray and set it on a portable burner, which he lit with firebending. "It had just occurred to me last night that you have been on this ship for almost a week and we had not been properly introduced. My name is Iroh, and it is a pleasure to meet you," he bowed his head slightly. Haru barely managed to voice an introduction.

"I- I am Haru," he said, as he returned the bow. "Why did you decide to introduce yourself? The rest of the crew doesn't even talk to me," Haru asked after a brief but uncomfortable silence.

"Well, if you are going to become friends with Zuko, it would only be polite," at the word 'friend' Haru felt a pang of guilt. "It is always best to make friends before you make enemies." he raised a finger to emphasize his point, as if he was giving a lesson to young children. Iroh took the teapot off the burner and poured the contents in to two cups, then handed one to Haru. "It is Ginseng tea, one of my favorites." Haru took the cup and sipped at the tea.

"This is good," Haru commented. "How do you get so much flavor in the tea?"

"That is an old secret," Iroh said as he grinned. Haru's initial thoughts on the old man had now since been confirmed; he was crazy. "How is it that a Waterbender comes to find himself in the service of the Fire Nation?"

"I'm not working for the Fire Nation," Haru said, a hint of annoyance present in his voice. "I'm working with Zuko to capture the Avatar. After that I'll go back to my tribe." Iroh's face changed to a look of contemplation.

"Oh, of course you are," Iroh's grin appeared again and the tension between the two vanished; the man seemed to exude eccentricity.

"What about you?" Haru wanted to change the subject. "Why are you here?" Iroh sipped his tea, and remained silent for a few seconds.

"I am Zuko's uncle. I came with him so that I could keep an eye on him and make sure he stayed out of trouble," Iroh paused during the sentence, as if choosing his words carefully. Haru was surprised, and evidently Iroh noticed. "You wonder how such a strong young man could be related to an old man like me?" he smiled as he said this, obviously he thought this funny.

A brief silence followed this, during which Haru had finished his tea. "Well, thank you for this most enjoyable conversation; I hope we will be able to share more in coming days." He stood up with the tray in hand. "It is a beautiful day out; you should come up on the deck. It is amazing how a bit of sunshine can make all your problems seem to fade." Iroh left the room laughing, at what Haru could not understand.

His thoughts trailed off, wondering about the man named Iroh. He seemed so different from everyone else. If it weren't for the topknot no one would know he was ever part of the Fire Nation.

Haru looked out the small window at the ocean. The sunlight reflected off the water and gave it a very bright turquoise color. The water had a stillness that seemed to hypnotize him. All his troubles with the Avatar and Fire Nation didn't bother him so much; he genuinely felt like things were going to turn out fine. _Indeed, a bit of sunshine does help._


	4. A Teacher at Heart

**Chapter Four – A Teacher at Heart**

Haru spent the rest of the day, as Iroh suggested, on the upper deck of the ship. He had seen many guards pass by, but recieved little more than a passing glance, but he didn't care. He spent most of the day looking out at the ocean, seeing all sorts of sea creatures jumping in and out of the water, as if they were enjoying the sunshine as well.

"I see you came join us for a bit of sunshine," Iroh said, appearing on his left and looking over the rail. "Today is a most wonderful day."

"Why do you think that?" Haru asked, bemused at Iroh's sense of optimism.

"Why not?" Iroh replied with a mix of surprise and confusion. Haru thought for a moment and found that the old man had a point; there wasn't a reason for the day not to be wonderful. "I find that life is more satisfying when you don't act on why you _should_ do something, but rather why not." Haru looked at the man with a new sense of respect.

Behind them came the sound of fire, and when Haru turned to look he saw Zuko wearing a red sleeveless tabard and pants. He threw fire every direction, and was intently focused, from what Haru saw, if not a bit angry. "As eager to learn as ever," Iroh commented gently, before he walked toward Zuko.

Haru leaned his back against the rail and watched as Zuko shot bursts of fire from his hands and feet, like he fought an unseen enemy. Every few minutes Zuko would stop and he and Iroh would converse. Haru continued to watch and noticed that The Prince grew progressively angrier each time Iroh stopped him.

"I don't need to learn basics, uncle!" Zuko yelled after the seven or eighth time he was interrupted. "I'm ready to move on." Iroh paused before he proceeded to walk in Haru's direction, which left a very frustrated Zuko to shoot more fire in the air.

"Come with me," Iroh said to Haru, and he was led to where Zuko stood. The look on Iroh's face had worried and almost scared him. "Zuko, I want you to knock Haru down. Haru don't hold back." Iroh added the last part quietly so only the two of them heard it.

Zuko walked 15 feet away before he turned to face Haru, who was still in thought when a blast of fire shot in his direction; Haru instinctively spun to his left and dodged the blast. Zuko launched more jets of flame, while he moved a few steps closer with each attack. It was all Haru could do to keep from being scorched as he ducked and spun away from the barrage.

"Come on!" Zuko shouted after a brief pause. It was apparent that he was impatient with Haru's lack of retaliation. "Are you going to fight me?" Haru used this lapse of battle to pull a stream of water from the ocean. As he did, so too did Zuko return to his relentless attacks, though this time Haru blocked the fire with his waterbending.

The fight went on, Haru was slowly pushed back as Zuko pressed his attack forward; he dared not attack for fear of letting his defenses down, which against Zuko's attacks surely meant defeat. As the distance between the two diminished he found his chance. He ducked under an arc of fire and as he did he threw his hands forward and the water stretched out and struck Zuko's legs like a whip. He staggered backwards a few steps, in which Haru ran and closed the distance between the two of them.

Zuko, who had regained composure, kicked furiously at Haru's head. He leaned backwards out of reach and waited for the kick to pass by his head. This left Zuko's body twisted with his side towards Haru, who hooked his own leg around the one Zuko had on the ground and pulled towards him as he pushed on Zuko's shoulder.

Haru stepped back as Zuko lay on the deck. His face burned with rage as he slowly stood up. Iroh had appeared next to them and watched Zuko with a composed demeanor. "I'll be in my room," he said, more calmly than Haru would have expected, and walked briskly past Iroh and Haru, stopping only to ask "What are you looking at?" to a guard who happened to pass.

"That was… A lesson, wasn't it?" Haru asked Iroh after Zuko had disappeared.

"Yes, it was," Iroh said. "He is a strong boy, but confused, and going through difficult times." Haru decided against pressing the issue further.

"Will he be okay?" Haru found himself asking. Iroh smiled at him.

"Oh yes, he will be his usual self in the morning," Iroh chuckled a bit. Again, Haru couldn't find the humor that Iroh did. Twilight had descended upon the ship and the moon could just be seen coming over the horizon. "It will be a beautiful night tonight." Haru looked up at the sky, where stars were just starting to appear.

_Yes, _he thought. _I think it will be._


	5. Breakfast for Two

The next day Haru broke his fast in the dining quarters, as he did every morning. He sat at the end of one of the six tables that filled the room, away from the other crew members. This is how it had been every morning.

As Haru finished his meal a young Firebender sat down across from him. Haru glanced at the man once and didn't give it a second thought. "My name is Kaito," the man said. Haru looked up again, wondering if he might be speaking to someone else. "I'm a new recruit, so I don't know many people around the ship." The man wore the traditional Fire Nation armor. His face was narrow and his black hair was pulled up in to a topknot.

"I'm Haru," he replied, unsure of what to think. "You're a new recruit? How old are you?" Haru thought the man looked a bit young.

"19," Kaito answered. "Well, I'm not really a new recruit, I sort of switched ships." Haru raised his eyebrows in question, more so just to humor the Firebender. "I used to be part of Commander Zhao's fleet, but transferred after the Avatar was rediscovered."

"Why?" Haru couldn't help but be curious; it was his nature.

"Commander Zhao is powerful, but he's not General Iroh." A long silence followed this sentence, during which Haru's curiosity disappeared.

"Aren't all Fire Nation soldiers, or citizens for that matter, taught to despise other countries?" This had been Haru's first suspicion.

"Yes, we are," Haru watched Kaito's face as he spoke. "But seeing you fight Prince Zuko was enough to make me think twice about the Fire Nation's self-proclaimed superiority." This surprised Haru. A compliment was the last thing he expected from a Fire Nation soldier; after a moment Haru went back to eating his food, not sure what to say. "So why are _you_ here?" Haru paused from his eating and chose his words carefully before speaking.

"Prince Zuko and I have a common goal," Haru said stiffly. Kaito raised his eyebrows.

"You are searching for the Avatar?" Haru nodded; it was obvious that he was confused. "Why would someone from the Water Tribe want to capture the Avatar?"

"Not capture," Haru paused momentarily. "I just want to find him." He didn't think this man whom he had just met, and a Fire Nation soldier nonetheless, needed to know everything. Haru felt it time to change the subject. "So what about Zuko; is he a good commander?" Kaito shrugged.

"I guess; I've only been on this ship for two months, but he seems smart enough." He leaned closer to Haru. "If not a bit obsessive, though I can understand why."

"Why is he obsessive?" Haru was now eager to learn as much as he can from this man.

"Well, I don't know why, but his father forced him in to an Agni-Kai," Kaito spoke in little more than a whisper. "That's like a really ceremonial duel. Anyway, Zuko was forced to fight his father. That's where the scar is from. But then his father banished him, so the only way for Zuko to get back his honor is to capture the Avatar and bring him to the Fire Lord." Kaito leaned back in his chair and ate a few bites. "You know, I'm surprised he agreed to let you help him. Zuko normally only cares about keeping his pride and honor intact; what's left of it, that is."

"So you're saying that me joining this crew is a dishonor?" Haru couldn't help but be offended, even though he knew it wasn't meant as an insult.

"Not to be rude, but the Fire Nation doesn't exactly like to receive help from other nations," Haru heard the smallest bit of annoyance in his voice. "Normally The Prince won't even accept help from his uncle. I'm just saying it's odd for him to act like this."

Haru stood up from the table. "I'm gonna go." Kaito stood up as well, but in his haste he knocked a fork to the floor with a metallic _clang_.

"Would you mind dueling with me later, for practice?" The offer caught Haru more off-guard than the compliment. "When I'm off duty, that is."

"I… Maybe, if I feel like it," Haru didn't know what else to say. He didn't have much experience dealing with people, or having others deal with him that much. Haru walked out of the dining quarters and on to the main deck. The sun was not quite yet at its apex, but still it was hotter than Haru would have liked.

He leaned on one of the side rails and looked out over the ocean. He wondered if the conversation he had just moments before might have been him hallucinating, but banished that idea quickly. _Maybe I should just get used to being around people; who knows how long I'll be on this ship. No, I need to stay focused. I can't be friends with these people, they're the enemy of _my_ people; not that I had many of them_ _as friends anyway. Though what about Zuko? I guess it makes sense that he would refuse help from others, but why make me the exception? I should find more about him._

Haru stood at the edge of the boat until well past midday. Eventually he came out of his thoughts when the sun began to sink. At that time Zuko was on the deck and throwing fireballs around. After that Haru watched the young prince practice his art of bending.


	6. The Game has Begun

Three more days had come and gone, during which Haru became more familiar with the ship as well as its crew. He had spent most of his time on the deck, watching the people move about on their own schedules. Though there were times when he and Iroh would enjoy a conversation, most of which were over a cup of tea.

He had even spent a small amount of time with Kaito, which were almost exclusively in the dining area where Haru didn't have a way to escape. During these short meetings Haru had found the young man quite eager to prove himself, especially to Iroh, whom he seemed to revere a bit too obsessively. He had even gone in to a long-winded monologue of all Iroh's successes as a general, taking particular care in detailing the siege at Ba-Sing-Se.

As the days passed Haru found himself increasingly interested in Iroh. The man was not like other Firebenders, that much was certain to Haru. Every time Haru spoke with the old man he had some kind of lesson or obscure proverb to share.

Haru had finished his meal and made his way to the helm of the ship, where he usually found Iroh after meals. When he entered the room he saw Iroh sitting at a low circular table across from another Firebender. The table was divided in to small squares and had thicker lines painting the outline of an hourglass in the center of the table, with smaller triangles lining the outer edge of the table. On the table were small tiles, each of which had various symbols painted on them.

"Morning, Iroh," Haru said casually. Iroh stroked his small beard before he slid one of the circular tiles on top of another.

"Hello, Haru, and a wonderful morning it is," Haru had noticed that all of Iroh's greetings mentioned how great the day, or a certain aspect thereof, was. Haru watched as Iroh and the man across from him took turns placing the tiles, and as they did the other man's face became grimmer. "And with that, I believe I win," Iroh grinned wildly. "Though you are getting better; I am certain you will win next time." The look on the man's face suggested that it wasn't the first time he had heard that phrase.

"What is this?" Haru asked. He leaned down and examined the board and tiles. "Some kind of game?"

"A game? This is not just any game," Iroh replied as if it was an insult. "It is Pai-Sho, a battle of strategy. Would you like to learn how to play?" Haru sat down across from Iroh. In front of him were several tiles, all of which had different icons painted on them. "These are your tiles," he pointed to the small tokens. Iroh proceeded to explain the basics of the game.

You and your opponent alternate turns placing a tile, or moving a tile already placed, on the board. Each tile had a specific name corresponding to the icon with which it was decorated. When you placed a tile on the table there was a certain amount of squares around the tile that it controlled. The opponent could not place tiles in, or move one of their tiles through, your controlled squares. The game ended when one player could no longer move any of their tiles.

After Haru grasped the basics Iroh wasted no time in explaining the finer points of the game. He described various tactics for placing your pieces, or formations to trap the opponent and other various tips that might help Haru.

"So now let's play a match," Iroh said excitedly after his tutorial was done. Haru consented and the game began. "The guest gets the first move." Haru still tried to figure out everything Iroh had told him, and it took him half a minute to make his move. Iroh placed his first tile, a white lotus blossom, almost instantaneously. The turns progressed slowly, as Haru took time to think and figure out what he was doing, where as Iroh seemed to know his moves before Haru even finished his turn.

After ten minutes of placing tiles Haru started to catch the idea of the game and began planning his moves quicker and more strategically. Ten minutes in to the game Iroh gave him another rule: you can move tiles along the board in straight lines, though not through squares controlled by your opponent. When a tile moves, so do the squares it controls.

Haru set this new rule in to action soon, as he slid pieces to counter Iroh's slowly increasing territory. He new he wouldn't win, but he found the game interesting nonetheless. It was quite a challenge to visualize which squares belonged to which squares belonged to which player, but it was a challenge that Haru found entertaining.

Another ten minutes in to their game and Iroh set a final tile down and proclaimed, "That is was quite a game. You catch on quickly." Haru was silent. He tried to find some kind of escape from his defeat. "How about we play another game?" Haru agreed and took his tiles off the board.

Their second of Pai-Sho was interrupted by Zuko who forcefully opened the door. "Waterbender, I must speak with you."

"Good morning Zuko," Iroh said cheerfully. Zuko either did not hear him or decided to ignor him while he kept his gaze on Haru. He slowly stood up and walked to where Zuko stood.

"Do not worry, we can finish this game when you return," Iroh assured Haru as he followed Zuko from the room.


	7. Reconnaissance

**Chapter Seven –**** Reconnaissance**

"I have a job for you," The Prince told Haru as he shut the door. They were in a rather large square room, occupied almost in its entirety by a rectangular table with numerous chairs placed around the edges. On the far wall was a very large map of the world. Zuko took a seat and as he did Haru sat in the chair directly across from him. "Which I believe to be within your ability." Haru sensed a faint amount of arrogance in his statement.

"And that would be," asked Haru. Zuko stood up and turned to face the map.

"We will be landing in a small port town soon to re-supply. Since my crew most likely won't be welcome I want you to gather necessary supplies." Haru could not help but be skeptical.

"What did your crew do before I came on board?" Zuko turned to face Haru.

"That doesn't matter!" Zuko's scar flickered as the torches along the walls flared and subsided within a second. "I also want you to gather any information on the Avatar; where he was seen last, where he might be headed."

"Wouldn't he be headed to the North Pole, since he does have to learn to waterbend," Haru had thought of that and pondered returning to the North Pole for a long time.

"I still don't know he was seen last, so I don't know where to go to intercept him!" The fire on the walls leapt up a several feet. Obviously Zuko was not used to being questioned. "We will be there in a few hours, you are dismissed." Zuko turned to face the map and as Haru left he heard Zuko mumble something inaudible.

When he returned to the helm he saw that Iroh still sat at the Pai-Sho table, but there were other men across from him, locked in a fierce game. The two men that played against Iroh had expressions on their face that made them look as if they were trying to move the tiles with their mind. Iroh, however, smiled as he moved his pieces around.

Haru tried to figure out the strategies that took place but they contestants were clearly far more experienced than he was. He did notice that for a few turns Iroh pulled his pieces back as if in retreat; at the same time the men began to look triumphant, though Iroh, in two turns, had won. Haru had not seen the victory coming, nor had the men as they rubbed their heads in confusion.

"An excellent game, if I may say so," Iroh took the tiles and placed them in a small pouch. "Oh, welcome back, Haru. I take it Zuko was hospitable."

"Oh yes, very," Haru laughed a bit. "I thought you said you would wait until I return so we could finish our game."

"I apologize, but I could not pass up the opportunity to play against these men," Iroh gestured to the two men that now stood by the windows and talked, though Haru could not hear what they said.

The boat pulled in to harbor in mid-afternoon. Haru had already gathered what he deemed necessary for his short excursion, a flask of water and his sword. After being reminded by Zuko what he was to find Haru walked down the gangplank on to the docks. Before he had managed to put 20 feet between him and the ship he heard a voice calling out to him.

When he turned he saw Iroh running down the dock after him. "I am glad I caught up with you." Iroh's breath after the short run was a sign that he wasn't in the fittest of states.

"What are you doing?" Haru asked.

"I came to join you," Iroh replied simply. "I need the chance to stretch my legs, and I have heard you can find the best bargains in the Earth kingdom." Once again Iroh had his trademark grin plastered on his face. "Why don't you search for information, I can buy the supplies." Haru nodded and said a word of thanks before departing from Iroh's company.

It wasn't very far before Haru realized he had no idea where to begin. The market place in to which he had wandered was very busy and offered no place to start. Eventually Haru resorted to asking people at random. Most of the time received little more than an indifferent grunt before the person he had questioned disappeared in to the sea of bodies.

An hour passed by and still he had been unsuccessful in securing any of the citizens' attention for more than a few seconds, much less an intelligent answer. The market place had diffused so that now Haru could walk and not bump in to anybody, though this didn't help his predicament.

It was a half hour before Haru found a bulletin board at the end of one of the many lanes of wooden stands and small carts. Posted on this bulletin board was a wanted picture of the Avatar. Beside Haru there was a middle aged man looking at the poster.

"Ha! They expect us to hand over the Avatar?" the man said, a little louder than just a mumble.

"What do you mean?" Haru inquired. This might be his chance.

"The Fire Nation wants us to give them the Avatar," the spoke as if everyone ought to know what he said. "The Avatar is the only thing _protecting_ us from the Fire Nation, like anyone would give up their main line of defense." The man shook his head.

"I would…" Haru said softly. The man looked back at Haru. "Do you know where the Avatar was seen last?" The man looked up in though.

"Last I heard he were in Omashu, or Kioshi or somewhere around there," the man answered. "After that I don't know. Why do you want to know?"

"Just curious," Haru lied. "Thank you for your time," Haru said with as much sincerity as he could summon and bowed to the man before he turned to walk back the way he came.

As he set foot on the deck of the ship he saw that Iroh had returned and conversed with Zuko, who, to Haru, looked a bit less angry than usual. "Oh hello Haru," Iroh said as Haru stepped up beside the two. "I trust your search went well." Haru nodded.

"You found where the Avatar is?" Zuko asked with something that resembled glee. "Where is he?"

"He was last seen near Omashu or Kyoshi. So he's at least it as far as-" Haru was cut off by Zuko.

"Start the engines, we're leaving tonight! We have no time to lose!" Zuko walked off, Haru and Iroh left to stand alone as the boat slowly pulled away from the dock and ventured back out in to the ocean.


	8. Shadows of the Past

**Chapter Eight – Shadows of the Past **

The next morning when Haru journeyed up to the helm after he broke his fast with the Kaito, he saw Zuko, Iroh and a three other Fire Nation soldiers hovered over the Pai-Sho table, which at this point was occupied entirely with a world map. The map was marked with many black ink lines that all connected to make one very sporadic line that changed direction every few inches.

"The Avatar was last seen in Omashu," Zuko said as he drew a circle around the city on the map. "He will be headed for the North Pole, so we can intercept him somewhere in these Northern Waters." Zuko waved the quill along the sea between the northern edge of the Earth Kingdom and the North Pole.

Haru walked farther in to the room and as he did so he received a small smile from Iroh and a brief glance from Zuko and the other soldiers. There was a small pause after Zuko's explanation. Haru studied the map, looking mostly at the lines, which he gathered to be the Avatar's path of travel.

"Oh, Haru, I do not believe you have been introduced to these men," Iroh broke the silence, which had grown rather uncomfortable.

"Not now, Uncle. We need to plan our next moves," Zuko's voice was the calmest Haru had heard it in his time on the ship. This intrigued him.

"I think it would be best if we got to know each other a bit better," Iroh stated. He must have sensed the apprehension that existed between Haru and the crew; though it had lessened somewhat in the recent days. "Haru, this is Lieutenant Lee, Captain Hiro and Captain Xing." The three soldiers inclined their heads not much, but enough to cause Haru to wonder.

"We are trying to determine where the best place to intercept the Avatar would be," the Lieutenant said. Haru glanced at Zuko and noticed that he seemed to be either deep in thought, or trying his best to ignore Haru's presence.

"Here," Haru said as he pointed to a small chain of islands in the northern sea. "They will be in this area, and we might be able to make it there before they do."

"How can you be so sure?" Zuko asked as he looked up at Haru.

"They are traveling from here," Haru took the quill and pointed to Omashu. "And going here," he drew a line straight toward the North Pole, which intersected the chain of islands. "These islands are the only islands that the Avatar would be able to stop on between the two places. Assuming he would want to go ashore and collect food and water of course."

"The Avatar is not traveling by boat. The trip for them won't take as long as you think," Zuko looked almost as glad as he said this, as if it brought him pleasure to reject Haru's idea.

"Then how is he traveling, surely not by foot," Haru said half in jest, though no one laughed, not even Iroh.

"He is flying," Zuko replied. "He is an _Airbender_. They have Sky Bison." Haru thought for a moment.

"That's all the more reason to stop. They can't fly forever. The islands are about a day and a half apart by boat, and they'll want a place to sleep for the night. If we position ourselves on one of the islands we can ambush them while they sleep." Haru took a deep breath, fairly pleased with himself. Zuko, however, didn't look pleased with him at all.

"What do you mean 'we'?" Zuko asked. Haru was struck silent with the question, unsure of what this might lead to.

"I thought that's why I'm on your ship… To help you capture the Avatar; right?" Suspicion and doubt flooded all of Haru's senses, but after a moment that was replaced by an overwhelming sense of betrayal, followed then by a wave of anger which refused to subside.

"I am sure Zuko did not intend any offense," Iroh attempted to explain, all the while his eyes directed at Zuko.

"No, it is quite all right," he assured Iroh as he stepped back from the table. "I have complete faith in Zuko's ability to capture the Avatar. After all, he has done such a splendid job so far." He raised his arms to chest height and made a fist with one hand and wrapped his other hand around it and bowed before he left the room.

The next hour was spent laying on his bed or staring out the window in his room. His anger had dissipated enough to think clearly, and with that he decided it was time for him to take his leave of the ship. _I know where the Avatar is headed, and where I could catch him. I could make it on my own from here._ The thought lingered in his mind, but he hesitated to follow through. _Tomorrow. I will leave tomorrow morning._

After he made up his mind he made his way up to the deck. As he arrived he was greeted by a strong wind that blew south, while the ship traveled north. The ocean, which had been calm for previous days, was now tumultuous and the boat heaved forward as waves passed underneath.

Haru didn't know how long he stood looking at the ocean, or if that was even what he was looking at. His eyes stared at something far away, past the horizon, though as his eyes never stayed fixed his mind wandered. Never did he grasp an idea for more than a few minutes before another would take its place.

Footsteps brought him out of his reverie, though he didn't care to look and see who might be making the footsteps. He expected it was Iroh, or perhaps Kaito come to talk. Though the silence lingered and Haru wondered if perhaps he had not imagined the sounds. No sooner had the thought this than a voice came from behind him.

"Why did you agree to join me?" Zuko asked. His voice was significantly less hostile than the previous time they had spoken. "Why would a Waterbender want to find the Avatar?" Haru didn't speak at once, his voice seemed to have been lost in the strong winds that blew past the ship.

"Why did you offer to let me?" Haru hoped this would not strike up the Prince's anger. Haru turned to face Zuko, who looked very much subdued and calm, at least more so than Haru remembered him ever being. At first Zuko looked as if he was going to argue, but stopped himself from speaking.

"I've attempted to capture the Avatar many times, and each time I… I failed," as Zuko spoke his voice dropped to little more than a mumble.

"So I'm just here to help you?" Haru asked. "How did you know I would accept?" Zuko thought for a moment.

"I noticed you were traveling alone. Waterbenders usually don't travel outside of their homes, at least as far as I know; you're the first one I've seen. I figured there had to be a reason. And you're eyes caught fire when I mentioned the Avatar." A brief pause followed this statement. My_ eyes caught fire? _

"So what now?" Haru asked. "Do you still need my assistance? I was planning on leaving tomorrow if you didn't." Zuko glanced over his right shoulder. Haru hadn't noticed before, but Iroh was standing in the doorway leading below-deck. _So this wasn't all Zuko's idea._

"Yes, if you would… Help me capture the Avatar, I will accept your assistance." The fire that usually burned in Zuko's eyes had been extinguished, and in its place Haru thought he saw the faintest trace of sadness. Haru bowed slightly, which Zuko returned with a short nod, before he walked past the Prince and back down to his room; Iroh had disappeared before Haru had a chance to speak with him. _This trip just gets more and more interesting_.


	9. Singing Firebenders?

**Chapter Nine – Singing Firebenders? **

The next morning was spent almost entirely playing Pai-Sho with Iroh. It started innocently, but with each passing game Haru became more competitive, as he found new strategies, while learning more of Iroh's tactics. But despite how quickly he was learning, he could still not win; every time he would force Iroh to retreat the old man would come back with some move Haru had not anticipated.

Many games later the two men had gathered an audience of seven people, including Zuko, Kaito and the man who was supposed to be driving the boat; though Zuko was not really watching, he seemed to be more interested in watching the clouds float by outside the front window. Haru, once again, lost to Iroh and with that came, as had happened with most of the previous games, murmurs of Iroh's great Pai-Sho playing skills from the crowd.

"I think twelve games is enough, Iroh," Haru said as he stood up. His legs were numb from sitting for so long and it took him a minute to stretch them out before the circulation gave him feeling in his lower torso. "I think I'd like to enjoy the sunshine a bit." Iroh stood when Haru said this.

"That sounds wonderful." Haru shook his head a bit; the old man's lack of responsibility was amusing. The two of them walked down from the helm of the ship to the front deck and stood in silence for quite some time. The silence, however, did not seem awkward to Haru, as it usually did with other people. Nor did Iroh think so, or that was as much as Haru could gather from the spaced out look that found its way over Iroh's face.

Haru had walked over to the edge of the boat and looked at the sea, as he had done every day during the time he spent on the ship. He knew that many of the Firebenders found it odd, or boring compared to their own lifestyle, which was all militaristic. Haru enjoyed these times of solitude, and only a few times had he actually thought them boring. His mind had a tendency to, like the ocean and rivers, drift and change subtly. There was little that Haru did not speculate, which was by far his favorite way to use his time in solitude. He dealt very little with happenings in his past, except for a few occasional moments, and less with the present. He found the present to be quite boring and even amidst the rage of battle he was always looking ahead; planning his next move, anticipating his opponent's next action.

In the past this had caused him trouble, as he would often find himself lost somewhere unfamiliar and he was forced to wander, sometimes for days before he reached a village. But in the end he would always manage to find a solution and take those mistakes as lessons; after four years he was as good a hermit as anyone.

At this moment Haru's mind was on the Avatar, which was what occupied his mind most of the time, though what about the Avatar and Haru's own situation he was pondering depended on the mood he was in. Even now he was wondering how long it might take to reach the island where they planned to set their trap, and what he would do once the Avatar did show up, for there were no doubts in his mind that they would succeed in their task, not with both Zuko and Haru together.

Though once the idea of him and the Prince working together wound its way in to his mind his mood darkened slightly. He had spent the whole of his life, which to him started with his arrival at the North Pole, by himself. He had not needed anyone to survive thus far, why did he need someone now? As this question proved too difficult to answer he then began to ask himself if Zuko was asking himself the same question.

There had only been three instances where he had traveled with other people, and two of those times he was acting more as an escort than a companion. The first time he had led an Earth Kingdom family of three from their village, which had recently been attacked and occupied by the Fire Nation, to another village only a few days away. Even in the short time he had been with the family he had become quite close with the son, who was only 11 years old at the time. They had talked about anything, though the boy was mostly interested in Haru's time adventuring, because to him that's all it was; an exciting trip that only those in epic stories undertake. He had even offered to accompany Haru, though Haru could not let him, and his parents would not let him.

The second group he had become familiar with was group of traveling performers. They found him while he was lost somewhere in the Earth Kingdom after his ship had been wrecked beyond repair. Haru had been camping near a small pond when the group found him. His first impression of the group was that they, like Iroh, were crazy. Though after two weeks of traveling with them he had not only confirmed that they were crazy, but learned that their ability to perform was mediocre at best and their songs often left him feeilng embarressed. Even still, Haru came to think that the two weeks he spent with this small band of half-talented musicians was the most enjoyable time he could remember. It was the only time he really forgot about the Avatar and learned what it was to be a kid, since he was 16 when he met this group. He had picked up quite a few songs of their creation, though only because he heard them at least once a day; though more often than that he was privileged enough to listen to them three or four times in a day.

It was to his surprise that as Haru stood at the railing of a Fire Nation vessel and remembered these significantly more childish memories that he grinned and began to hum a tune that he remembered a bit too fondly, perhaps, and not more than five seconds after he began the song did he stop and let his smile fade

"What was that you were humming?" Iroh asked which startled Haru who forgot that he was not the only one standing on the deck.

"Just a song that I learned a while ago," Haru answered. It wasn't one of the songs he had learned from the group he had traveled with, but one that he had learned a half a year later.

"So you sing?" Without waiting for an answer he continued. "Then you can join us in for music night." Haru looked at Iroh and raised an eyebrow; this was perhaps the most absurd thing he had heard, especially do to the fact that a Firebender had said it; though since Iroh had been the one to say it, Haru did not doubt there was a music night on this ship.

"Music night? There is a _music night_ on this ship, that's full of Firebenders. You mean music like singing, right?" Iroh nodded.

"Do you think that just because we are Fire Nation that we do not enjoy music?" Haru withheld a response. "In fact, there are quite a few men on the ship who know how to play and sing music." Haru was still a bit shocked from the thought of Fire Nation soldiers singing love songs in front of the rest of the crew, but also felt very stupid from what Iroh had said; had he not learned over the last week that the Fire Nation was made of people who felt and acted much the same as everyone else?

"I'm sorry, it just sounded a bit odd after everything I've heard about the Fire Nation, and the people I've run in to in the past," Haru apologized. Iroh waved his hand in dismissal.

"Do not worry about it," a grin came over the old man's face. "You can make it up to me by singing tonight." Haru's eyebrows raised and he looked incredulously at Iroh.

"I'm not going to sing," he stated with as much command as he could muster.

"You were humming a song earlier, so you know the tune and the words. Why can you not sing?"

"Because… That is in front of people. I'm a fighter, not a performer."

"And everyone else is less of a fighter than you for singing?" Haru knew there was no escaping Iroh's logic. "You should join us tonight; it'll make the crew fonder of you, and that's something you should think about before you try and capture the Avatar."

"Why should I worry about that?" Truthfully, he did not care what the crew thought of him.

"Because it would not do to have them saying that a Waterbender helped Prince Zuko capture the Avatar. That will bring him more dishonor than it will honor him for capturing the Avatar." Iroh looked straight in to Haru's eyes, which made him feel uncomfortable so that he looked away. Haru had begun to feel sympathy, or something like it, for the young prince; he did not know why though. "You should think about it."

Haru nodded and turned to look at the ocean again. Twilight descended upon the seascape and he could see the moon just above the horizon; a little more than half showed and it was well on its way to full.


	10. Toughest Battle Yet

**Chapter Ten – Toughest Battle Yet **

Haru had remained motionless until night fell, and only moved when, little by little, the ship's crew emerged for the Music Night that Iroh spoke of. He was surprised to see how many people actually came to listen to the music; it was not something he had expected of the Fire Nation that sought to conquer the world. He had still not decided whether he was going to sing or not, but the thought was on the forefront of his mind. He saw Iroh appear again from wherever he had gone to, and they linked eyes for a brief moment before Haru looked away.

There was a small group, no more than 15 people, that showed up on the deck, which was lit with torches that stood around the edges of the boat; it looked the very same way that it did on the night Haru had first fought Zuko and became part of his crew. The thought of the Prince led Haru to also notice that he was missing from the impending festivities. _Not surprising, though_, he thought.

Iroh approached him just as the last of the crew came to join what would soon be Music Night. "Have you thought about what I said?" Haru nodded slowly. "What is your choice?" Haru felt his throat go dry and he suddenly became slightly nauseated with nervousness.

"I… I'll do it," Haru said, looking straight in to Iroh's eyes; he would not let the old man down. Not when he showed kindness to Haru when no one else would. Iroh's face, which had been stern, showed a smile upon hearing Haru's response.

"That is good to hear. What song will you sing?" Haru had thought that he might sing one that the wandering bards had taught him, but those seemed too silly and altogether not right for the occasion. But those were the only songs he knew… _Except for _that _one_, he thought. But he did not feel like singing _that_ song would gain him any points either.

"Um… I don't know the name of the song," Haru said after he made his choice, however hesitantly.

"Well then I can't play any music to it." Haru had not known that Iroh played any musical instrument, though it did not come as much of a surprise; not much about the man did any more, not when Iroh himself was one big surprised wrapped in mystery.

"That's okay, there wasn't any music to it when I learned it," Haru walked over the crowd with Iroh.

"I'll let you know when you're about to perform." Haru nodded and stood to the rear of the crowd while Iroh made his way to the front of the small crowd. He stood between the bow of the ship and the crowd.

"Hey," a voice said from behind. Haru turned and saw Kaito, who walked up and stood beside him. "I didn't think you would come."

"Iroh convinced me," Haru said with a small smile. He was still nervous about singing later.

"You'll really like it. Iroh is a great singer, and there are others who aren't so bad either." Haru almost laughed at the thought, but decided against it. He looked forward and saw Iroh standing in front of the crowd; in his hands he held a lute. Without any signal or gesture the crowd became silent and Iroh began to play. The crowed listened intently, not one word was muttered within the group of Fire Benders. Kaito watched as if hypnotized by the song that the old general played.

There were no words to this song, though Haru could sense a deeper level of meaning. It was a slow song, though not sad. Iroh swayed as he plucked the strings, his eyes closed and a smile on his face. Haru closed his eyes and let the music soak in to his mind, and as he did he began to see memories flash in front of his closed eyelids.

He was back in the Earth Kingdom. He was walking through a forest, the cherry blossoms had just bloomed; a signal that spring had come. Light poured through the thin canopy of trees. Iroh's music played behind this reverie like a soft wind. Haru had just come upon a young woman, no older than himself. The woman was leaning over and picking flowers which she then put in to a basket that hung from the crook of her arm. Her back-length hair fluttered lightly in the breeze. Her face was thin and her skin was tinted brown. Her dress, which was of a soft shade of red, blew freely in the wind as she stood up and looked at him.

As their eyes met the music changed, and they were no longer standing in a forest, but atop a hill that overlooked a vast meadow. The music slowed, but Haru's heart beat sped up. It had become night, and the moon hung low on the horizon, casting a brilliant silver glow across the land. Haru looked at the young woman who stood beside him. Her bright green eyes glistened in the moonlight as if beckoning Haru. He felt himself lean slowly toward her and close his own eyes, but as he did the music slowed even more, a single arpeggio played out as the last chord faded in to the distance.

When Haru reopened his eyes he saw neither the young woman nor the valley in front of him. There was a moment of silence as Iroh finished his song, which was followed by subdued applause. Kaito clapped along with everyone else, though he was much more enthusiastic than the rest, who although looked liked they enjoyed the song, still held their serious attitudes.

"That was a new song," Kaito said quietly as the clapping quieted down. A dull murmur escaped in the crowd as the next performer, a koto player, prepared his instrument. "I've heard all of General Iroh's songs at least twice, but I've never heard that one before." Haru nodded and turned to watch the koto player, who had finished his preparations and began to pluck at the strings. The player looked younger than most of the crew, though older than Kaito; perhaps in his late 20's. Along with the koto the man sang a rather obscure song that Haru had never heard.

When he finished the same muffled applause emanated from the crowd. The next man to play was a samisen player who was accompanied by a man who held a small drum. Their song was more fast-paced than the other two, and had lyrics as well, but was still slow enough to make Haru feel drowsy.

While the pair played there was a tap on Haru's shoulder. He turned and saw Iroh standing behind him. "You will be singing next, alright?" Haru swallowed and nodded nervously. Iroh patted his shoulder and walked to the side of the boat where he stood and watched the two musicians.

The two finished not long after, though Haru wished their song would have lasted longer. Iroh walked back in front of everyone and immediately the crowd went silent.

"Tonight is a special night, because have a guest who has agreed to sing a song for us tonight." Whispers rose in the crowd and Haru could hear Kaito questioning what Iroh might be talking about. "Haru, if you would come up here." The crowd went silent again, though not out of respect, but out of shock. Haru walked around the group and noticed that several people, including Kaito, gave him odd looks as if questioning what he was doing.

He reached the front of the crowd and Iroh stepped to the side. There seemed to be a larger amount of people who sat in the audience than Haru could remember there was when he stood at the back. He saw questioning looks, some seemed to despise him for joining in their activities, and there were even a few who looked eager to hear what the Waterbender might sing. Haru cleared his throat and turned a nervous twitch in to a chance to roll his shoulders.

In his mind still clung the doubt that he should not sing and just walk back to his room right now… But Haru was never one to back down from a fight, and he was not going to now. Slowly and quietly he started his song.

Hope fades, in to the world of night.  
Through shadows falling,  
Out of memories from your mind.

Never give in…  
What are these tears upon your face?

Can you not see…  
That we meet once again?

This is the choice we all must make.  
But you're only dreaming.

As the sun sets,  
A Pale moon rises.

There's naught you can do,  
But keep moving on.

As waters flow, the days will pass,  
Like leaves in the wind.

As he ended the song there was a silence that both relieved and horrified Haru. Though slowly, just as he started his song, so too did the crowd applaud for him He could see Kaito standing in the back smiling at him; Iroh was doing the same thing where he was standing. Haru walked out from in front of the crowd, the applause remained. It may have been his imagination, but he thought the clapping of the crowd was louder than it had been for the other songs.

"That was beautiful," Iroh told him as he walked back behind the crowd. "And I am sure that the crew loved it as well." As Haru walked back he saw a figure standing in the doorway of to the deck. It was Zuko, he realized, though before Haru could guess at a reason for his sudden appearance, he disappeared below-deck.

"That was great," Kaito told him when he stepped closer, "Though it was quite a surprise at first. Where did you learn that song?" Haru thought about what he might say.

"In the Earth Kingdom, from a family I knew," he did not wish to give a full explanation.

"Well it was a great song," Haru bowed slightly and thanked him.

"If you don't mind, I'm going to get some sleep," he told Kaito, who nodded. He was tired, and still shaken from the performance. Haru walked below-deck, but not before he took a last look at the next group of singers. There were four in all, including Iroh and one of the lieutenants he had been introduced to. As he walked down the stairs he could hear their voices echo as they sang some song Haru had never heard before about the four seasons.


End file.
